Dumped My Cheating Ex. Now I'm Sleeping Next to a Billionaire CEO novel Chapter 1268

Night settled in, and the island finally let go of its sultry daytime heat. A cool breeze drifted in from the sea, brushing up goosebumps on Emmy’s skin as she slipped back into her hotel room. It was already past ten.

John had searched everywhere for information, but nothing concrete had turned up yet. Still, his friends had promised to keep an eye out and would call the moment they heard something.

Emmy washed up, pulled on her silk nightgown, and collapsed onto the bed. Only the bedside lamp was on, casting the room in a hazy gold glow. She tossed and turned, unable to settle. Her mind spiraled with questions. If she could get a second chance at life, could Dean have too? What if something just as strange had happened to him? What if he was now in someone else’s body?

She barely finished the thought before she shot it down. There couldn’t be so many impossible things happening to one person. That kind of stuff didn’t happen in real life.

While she wrestled with her thoughts, she heard a soft beep at the door. The lock disengaged, and someone stepped inside. Heavy, familiar footsteps padded over the carpet—not toward her, but straight into the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of running water filled the silent room.

Nearly twenty minutes passed before the water finally turned off. The bathroom door opened, and James appeared, looking freshly showered in nothing but a bathrobe. In the muted light, he paused next to the bed, just watching her—well, watching her pretend to sleep.

Then he pulled up the comforter, slid in behind her, and wrapped a strong arm around her waist, hugging her close.

Emmy frowned. Even after a shower and a thorough teeth brushing, she could still smell the faint sourness of alcohol on his breath as he settled in behind her.

She couldn’t stop herself. She opened her eyes and whispered, “How much did you drink? I can still smell it on you, even after all that.”

James pressed his face into her neck, his words coming out muffled and lazy, warm with a tipsy kind of affection. “I would have come back sooner, but General Calony wouldn’t let me go. He wanted to see who could handle more drinks. Couldn’t exactly say no to him.”

Emmy didn’t reply, just tucked herself further against his chest. Despite the drinks, James had this wild sensitivity to her moods. He sat up slightly and peered at her, eyes shaded but alert.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, searching her face. “Is it the alcohol? Does it bother you?” His brows pulled together and he pulled away, ready to move. “If it’s too much, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

But Emmy’s hand shot out, wrapping tight around his waist. “Don’t go.” Her voice sounded small and muffled against his chest.

James paused, then sank back against her, pulling her in tighter than before. His chin rested against the top of her head, his hand running slow, lazy circles over her back.

“Nightmare?” he whispered.

She just stared at him, totally lost.

He shifted, settling her more comfortably against him. “As soon as he got to the resort today, he threw down half a billion just to get VIP status.” He spoke so casually, as if it were nothing. “That kind of money? It sounds impressive, but he laundered it all in only a few days.”

Emmy’s eyes went huge. “He launders money?”

James shrugged, his eyes cold and unreadable. “At his level, guys like him do it all the time. But it’s risky. If someone exposes him, he’ll rot in prison.”

He let that hang for a moment, then added, “Of course, he’s an American citizen now. Made huge political donations too. If he gets into trouble, the government there will bend over backward to protect him.”

Emmy’s brows drew together, but before she could say anything, James pressed his forehead gently to hers, his voice tender and absolute.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this under control. I’ll make sure even their government keeps its hands off. They’ll be racing to cut ties with him the second things get messy.”